Head Coach Bill SnyderOn Collin Klein's poise as quarterback..."I think as far as his mindset, it is the same all the time. It is nothing different than what we have expressed in here so many times. He is focused. He understands what his responsibilities are and how he needs to handle those responsibilities. Managing the football is equally important to him and to our team as to our running backs and etcetera. He understands that. He works on it. He is no different today than he was a week ago today."

On assessing Iowa State..."Well, we assess everything. During the spring, we have a period of time when we go back and assess all of the teams that we are going to play. In the summer, we do exactly the same thing. We have all of that accumulated in our preparation now. Indeed, we have gone back and looked all of Iowa State's ball games as we would any opponent. We pay attention to our ball game with them last year. We assess all of the games that they have played this year up to this point of time, their five ball games this year. We do not put any emphasis on one then the other knowing that we cannot really project what someone else is going to do. So you have to prepare for all of it as much as you possibly can. We certainly have things that you feel like you might see more frequently than others. You have to prepare for all of it, but that is part of the process. That is true for any team that we play. You find there are similarities in all teams that you play. You find as you are working, you are also inadvertently preparing for another team and all of that adds up over a period of time."

On Iowa State's weaknesses..."Well, I do not think there are a lot of weaknesses. Of those turnovers, nine of them were interceptions, and they have replaced their quarterback, so that takes eight of them off the board. I think they have made a decision that changes those numbers dramatically. If you do that, then it is not nearly as it appeared to be. In all reality, if you watch the play you do not see, other than the interception that the young quarterback threw, you do not see much in the way of turnovers. They have had three fumbles that they have lost in five ball games, which is a reasonably good number."

On Paul Rhoads and the direction of the program..."I think it has made tremendous strides. I think he is an excellent football coach. He is an excellent person. We have had this dialogue before. I have known Paul for a long time as a little youngster. I have known his father very well, Cecil Rhoads, who was a very successful high school coach in the Des Moines area. I think Paul is just right for Iowa State. He has brought an awful lot to that program and the university as well. He is a very fine coach."

On Iowa State's play similar to K-State..."They are a very disciplined football team. They are a very aggressive football team. I think they are a very tough-minded football team. I think they are a very hard working football team. You cannot tell what they do during the week by game day, but you can. Knowing Paul and the approach they take and seeing the results of it on the field, you see that they work diligently. I think they play as hard as anybody as you would play against. I think all those intrinsic things are in place. They have the attention of their players and their players have a belief in those values, which I think are similar to those values that we have here, and they have been very responsive."

On K-State's defensive improvements from this year to last year..."I think we are a work in progress still. I think we have managed to produce numbers that would indicate that our pass rush has made improvements. I do not think we have gotten to where we need to be. Those numbers might be a little misleading in that respect. I am pleased that we have made the progress that we have made, and hopefully that is on a continual up rise. Still, we are a long ways away."

On Iowa State's challenging demeanor..."Every day is a challenge for us. I can assure you Saturday will be no exception whatsoever. They offer a challenge to virtually anybody they play. Certainly they will for us."

On Iowa State quarterback Jared Barnett..."They started (Jared) Barnett against TCU and won the ball game, and TCU is a good football team. There is no doubt in my mind or the anticipation is that he will be back, and I think they probably designated that already. He started and played the ball game against us last year and did a nice job. He scrambled a couple times and brought the ball down and really hurt us. He is a good young quarterback. He understands the game well. He has a good mentality for it. He is a dual-type guy and can do both of those things. They run that kind of offensive that allows him the opportunity to run with the football."

On Iowa State's linebackers..."Well, I think those things that I mentioned before, in my way of thinking, is what makes them so very good. I have said that they are tremendously talented young guys, and I think that is promoted by the fact that they have a tremendous focus and intensity about the game. Obviously, the experience is a tremendous factor for them. They play extremely hard, and they are intelligent young guys. They fit the system so well, and they can play at maximum speed. They probably do not have any better forty times than a lot of guys, but they play extremely fast. They play like four or five guys, and they are pretty good."

Senior Quarterback Collin KleinOn running the ball against an experienced defense..."They are a very experienced defense like you said, very disciplined. They know how to execute what they are in, and how to make tackles. So it is going to be a challenge. They are going to play extremely hard. We know that and it is going to be a big challenge."

On Iowa State's defense at home..."I think it is going to be a tough road test. I know Coach Snyder talks about it all the time about keeping the game in between the white lines, and we know that they are going to play extremely hard, play disciplined and play well. We just have to be prepared to execute and play hard at a high level for four quarters."

On never playing in Ames..."I guess it is kind of a unique situation. I know even myself having been around here for awhile now played them at home my first year, two years at Arrowhead, and then here last year, but again it is just about keeping the game in between the white lines, and doing the best you can."

Senior Defensive Back Nigel MaloneOn forcing turnovers..."Initially, it was just more fumble recoveries. We are getting some good pressure on guys. During practice, we kind of make an emphasis on getting the ball out. It really did a justice for us during the game."

On defensive improvements..."Overall, I think we are a great defense. I think that is an example of the defensive line getting a better pass rush and the numbers might not say so, but I think we are playing better in the back end, which makes the quarterback hold onto the ball longer and forces more sacks. We are more aware around the ball, forcing fumbles and after a while the interceptions will come too."

On defensive unity..."We are just communicating. I think everyone is just more attentive overall when we are out there playing, being aware is also something we work on in practice."

Senior Tight End Travis TannahillOn never playing at Iowa State..."I have never been up there. We had the two games at Arrowhead, and then the home game last year. I am excited. It is always fun to play on the road, always fun to go to a new place. I think there, TCU and West Virginia are the only places that we have not played. It will be interesting, a new atmosphere. The coaches have been there, obviously. They will give us the information that they have, and it will be exciting to go up there and play."

On Iowa State beating Oklahoma State last year being a topic..."Not really so far. We are always focused on this year. What happen last year, happened last year. We are hoping we can go up there and take care of business, and they are definitely a solid team."

On not over-looking this game..."Even with how they have played us the last three years, a lot of college football is just a lot of match ups, and they match up very well against us. We are kind of the same team in playing with toughness and discipline. Whenever a team does that, they have a chance to win. So we are going to have to go and play our best to win."